Deuba rejects minister reshuffle, faces growing party pressure

KATHMANDU: As the coalition government led by the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML completes one year, talk of a Cabinet reshuffle has surfaced.

However, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has taken a firm stance against changing his party’s ministers, rejecting a proposal from Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to reshuffle the Cabinet.

The reshuffle discussion gained momentum after audio clips allegedly exposing bribery deals involving Federal Affairs Minister Rajkumar Gupta and Land Management Minister Balram Adhikari were leaked. In response, PM Oli proposed changes to the Council of Ministers. But Deuba flatly refused, reportedly telling Oli, “You may change your ministers, but Congress ministers will remain unchanged.”

Sources close to Deuba say he has assured lobbying party MPs that ministerial opportunities will only arise when he himself becomes prime minister again. This has led to disappointment among aspiring Congress lawmakers who were hopeful of joining the Cabinet.

Despite rejecting the PM’s proposal, internal dissatisfaction within the Congress has intensified. Influential leaders within the party are pressing for a review of ministerial performance.

On Friday, five senior party figures — former Vice Presidents Gopalman Shrestha and Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, former General Secretaries Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Sitaula, and former Joint General Secretary Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat — met Deuba and urged him to recall underperforming ministers.

In response to mounting internal pressure and concerns over the government’s performance, Deuba has convened a joint meeting at his Budhanilkantha residence, bringing together party office-bearers and current ministers.

The agenda reportedly includes reviewing internal party matters, evaluating the effectiveness of the coalition with UML, and most importantly, assessing the performance of Congress ministers in government.

While Deuba maintains that no immediate reshuffle will take place, the rising discontent within the party suggests that pressure for change is unlikely to fade anytime soon.